I did a poll way back in October about what fabric I should use to make Simplicity dress 1939. This navy and yellow floral print cotton was the winner. The fabric is very lightweight (almost sheer). Conveniently, it was very easy to handle. Simplicity 1939 is a Cynthia Rowley design with a modern bohemian style. I made View C except with the sleeves from View A.

The dress wasn't terribly hard to make except that I had to keep
flipping back and forth between the pages of instructions. View C is
unlined but uses some of the steps from View A and B.... basically, it's
a little confusing.

According to the instructions for View A, the sleeves are fully lined. I wasn't doing a lining for my dress so I cut some bias strips to create a facing for the sleeve hems. The sleeves were tight at the wrist so I let the sleeve seam out a little.

The neckline is bound with a bias strip that also forms a tie at the neck. The opening at the center front is pretty deep and I actually raised it an inch or two. It did not inhibit putting the dress on in any way.

The
design is intended to be fitted at the waist so that the bodice
flounces over the waistline for a blouson effect. I added extra length
to the bodice to accommodate my long waist. The yoke of the skirt was
feeling a little too tight and I didn't want it to be uncomfortable so I
let the side seams out a little bit. But I think the silhouette would
look better (less frumpy) to have the waist tighter. I think it could
actually be solved by adding elastic to the waistline. The elastic would
pull the waistline up to the waist and tighten but would be more
forgiving to breathing. It probably wouldn't really matter if the yoke becomes a little gathered because it would be hidden by the blouson effect of the bodice.

It's a pretty dress and I'm looking forward to wearing it. I do recommend the pattern although be aware there is a lot of flipping back and forth through the instructions if you do view C. I'd rate the skill level required as medium. Don't do this dress as your first project. It has a lot of parts and could be frustrating. If I make it again I would do View B – full length and sleeveless in a solid color. I'd also like to try adding elastic at the waist.

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I spent months planning my wardrobe for my trip to Copenhagen (see my initial moodboard from way back in February here) and of course I was still making things at the last minute. On my last two big trips to Europe and Japan, I found the weather to be too cold for my wardrobe, which is really not surprising considering I live in Los Angeles where it’s basically summer all year round. So for Copenhagen in early May I wanted to be extra prepared. I had made a turtleneck using the Piper Top pattern but the fabric and cut are a little drafty to satisfy my warm layer goals. I wanted something that would be a closer fit with a softer fabric and this top jumped into my sewing queue.